Should I give up hope?

[Faye567]

Hi,

I've been researching my German ancestry for a while now and have managed to get over some really frustrating road blocks, but I think I might be stumped on this one. My ancestor Margarethe Philippine Morell was born in May 1796 and was married to David Berlepsch in December 1823 in Eschwege. On her marriage certificate it states that her father was Wilhelm Morell and her mother was Anna Christine Fulling. Her marriage certificate also states that  she was born in Friedrichsdorf and that her father was a farmer, also from Friedrichsdorf, who was already deceased. I wrote to the archive at Friedrichsdorf, but, they had no record of Margarethe. Nor did they have any records of her parents. They told me that a Morell family had lived in Friedrichsdorf, but, according to their records the family had moved to Bad Homburg in the mid 18th Century. So, I wrote to the archive at Bad Homburg, but, again they couldn't find any trace of them.

 So, I'm really quite stuck on whether I'll ever be able to proceed here. The only other thing I can think of is to return to the archives at Eschwege  on the off the chance that they really came from there. But, the marriage certificate states they came Friedrichsdorf most explicitly. Has anyone been in a situation like this? If so, could you give any advice on the best way to proceed? I'm quite interested in this line of my family tree as it seems as they're might be some kind of Huguenot connection and I'm quite eager to either confirm or refute that. It looks like I might just be waiting for a lucky break . I've been looking over the family tress at Ancestry.de in the hopes of finding someone with ancestors in the right time/place that could be related to mine, but, haven't had any luck. Does anyone with superior knowledge/ experience have an ace up their sleeve that could be helpful here?

Many Thanks

Faye.

[Billyblue]

Hi Faye
Have you thought of contacting the Huguenot Society of GB?
They may be able to give some advice

Dawn M
PS  Never give up hope         

[Craclyn]

Have you tried www.familysearch.org? Maybe if you cannot find the actual names you are researching you may be able to find other family members and get some leads from following their geographical movements.

[Rudolf H B]

"Should I give up hope? "

NO!

- an uncle? https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Christophe_Morell

- a link http://www.hugenotten.de/genealogie/index.php

- a lot of stuff http://meta.genealogy.net/
-- check this: Online-OFB Friedberg (Hessen)
-- check the reformed confession at first

- other places to be checked: Carlsdorf & Hofgeismar

- a researcher http://gw.geneanet.org/ukpri?lang=de&v=MORELL&m=N

Good luck!

Rudolf

[Rudolf H B]

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_Morell

"Nicht weit entfernt von Hümme, im heutigen Hofgeismarer Stadtteil Kelze lebten seit dem 17. Jahrhundert die hugenottischen Vorfahren der Familie Morell."
http://www.humboldt-schlueter.com/unserekuenstler/24a6bc9a0b107e511.html

Google this: "familie morell kelze" & "familie morel kelze"

Look for Morel

Rudolf H. Boettcher

[Faye567]

Thanks for the positive responses and the links Rudolf. It's much appreciated. The German Huguenot society looks especially helpful.  I have looked into George Morell, hoping he was a relation before. The Morell records available on familysearch all seem to be descended from a Jean and Jaque Morell, who are brothers. I have not been able to find a positive link yet. But, I would not surprised to find a connection to my family. 

I have also recently be sent this: http://boards.ancestry.de/stellen.europa.deutschland.hessen/1058/mb.ashx

As you can see it refers to some of the marriage/children of the Fulling/Thone/Aillard family in Friedrichsdorf. I think it's a good bet this is some of  Margarethe's mother's Anna's  family, who's maiden name was Fulling. If you look at the witnesses one is a Balthasar Morel and another is written as Wilhelm and his wife, with no second name given. I've looked into to Balthasar Morel and have found he was the mayor of Friedrichsdorf. But, again have found no connection yet. This also seems to contradict the idea that all the Morell/Morel's had left Friedrichsdorf by the end of the 18th Century.   

[Rena]

Faye,

I'm another who says don't give up. 

I'm sure, unbeknown to you, that several rootschatters did a bit of digging when they saw your question.  The first thing I noticed about the town was that although the Hugenots had been allowed to settle there - there was no mention of a protestant church being organised.  Presumably the mayor recorded all births, or the residents travelled to a nearby Ev Lutheran church to receive a blessing.

I then approached the Hugenot subject from a different angle.   Knowing that the British had an interest in mainland Europe, I looked in the UK's national archive catalogue to see if there were any entries for "Morel(l)" outside of Britain.  There were several results over several centuries but not for your particular ancestor unfortunately.

Best wishes,
Rena

[Rudolf H B]

Faye,

are you looking at the right place?

NO!
there is a Friedrichsdorf in Hesse-Homburg and
there is a Friedrichsdorf in Hesse-Kassel - nearer to Eschwege,
both had been founded for hugenotts by two different counts Friedrich II.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrichsdorf
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrichsdorf_(Hofgeismar)

You have to ask at the town archives of Hofgeismar!

They had at least two different french-reformed churches, and some more church buildings in the villages - very nice buildings:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsdorf
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelze
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6neberg_(Hofgeismar)

Best wishes
Rudolf

[Faye567]

Thank you Rudolph! Now that really is a new line of enquiry. It looks like such a pretty small town, only 100 inhabitants!